Ch.341113. I Pay My Respects to Them.

“Gunter. You are not of Endraig’s bloodline. Naturally, Aseratt is not your birth mother either.

You are neither royalty, nor nobility, nor anything of the sort.

-A mere woodcutter couple gave birth to you but died before they could raise you. And the one who took in that infant out of pity was… you.”

…….

The fairy of national salvation, said to have been with this country since its beginning.

Until she visited Gunter in his dream to reveal the truth, he had never suspected, never even considered the possibility.

He wondered if this too was just a nightmare.

But the fairy impressed this upon Gunter countless times.

What would he do if he refused to accept it?

Even so, this was the undeniable truth.

“……”

Long ago, quite long ago.

Gunter had lived without questioning anything.

He was noble royalty, the sole guardian bloodline of this country.

He was noble and virtuous from birth.

And that fact would never change until the day he died.

There was a time when he vaguely believed so.

Moreover, his mother had established him as the legitimate heir, the crown prince.

While Iriel was assigned to manage the stables and, when time permitted, oversee the hunting grounds or occasionally tend to farming duties.

She devoted herself to educating him as a prince and future king, teaching him the art of kingship.

Gunter had never expressed any doubts about this.

He simply accepted it as natural from the beginning.

…But it wasn’t true.

‘Then why…?’

Upon learning the truth, I couldn’t help but question.

Why crown someone of common birth, not of her blood, as crown prince?

Why treat Iriel, her own blood and rightful heir to the throne, so poorly, while treating someone like me, with no proper lineage, so preciously?

Gunter suffered for half a year not knowing the answer.

Of course, Aseratt, Gunter’s mother and the Queen of his homeland, was clearly a once-in-an-era queen, historically rare, and a special being even as a human.

Noble and beautiful yet without pretension or vanity… showing only her essence and foundation without any sense of discomfort… a pure existence.

A warrior and commander that was… simply impossible to imitate or follow.

Truly an ideal, versatile knight.

However.

While exceptional as a ruler, as a human she was… flawed.

She severely lacked empathy and understanding.

On the other hand, excluding that, she was extremely… fair and just as a ruler.

Though that often caused conflicts and disputes with her subjects.

Therefore, from a young age, Gunter thought he must fulfill the roles she could not.

Beyond imitating her, he would do what he could. Take action.

…From childhood, rather than admiring and aspiring to be like those he respected, he focused on compensating for their shortcomings and deficiencies.

…How was this possible? It could only be his nature.

To Gunter, everyone better than him was a competitor.

…And that required coldly measuring himself.

If he couldn’t win, he wouldn’t fight.

If he could win, he would fight and defeat them, whether directly or indirectly.

Most fell within the realm of his understanding.

But she was different.

That’s why he both understood and couldn’t understand her.

…And that’s why he couldn’t help but hold her in respect and awe.

Truly ideal, isn’t it?

She seemed to have many enemies, but upon understanding her, one realized:

She had no enemies.

Everyone simply regarded her as an adversary out of their own caution and awe.

To her, no one was a match.

“……”

Though her way of thinking remains difficult to comprehend, there were certainly aspects worth emulating.

Perhaps that was what made Gunter so exceptional as crown prince.

Above all, she treated him more nobly than her own blood.

Therefore, Gunter could see that she hadn’t deceived him but rather bestowed upon him an extreme grace.

And perhaps the fundamental reason he could view it this way was because Gunter purely admired her.

As a mother, as a respected queen, as a woman, as a benefactor.

Having sorted out his feelings and made his decision, Gunter began to consider various circumstances in earnest.

Fortunately or unfortunately, there was someone right in front of him who revealed these various circumstances.

Morgane.

The Lady of the Lake.

She rushed in, trying to bewitch and deceive him.

But Gunter remained unshaken.

Gunter always did his best to understand his mother Aseratt’s true intentions.

However.

He came to feel that wasn’t enough.

I wanted to be her proud, only son, or something even more.

But she always carried someone in her heart, choosing solitude.

If only he could fill that void.

But knowing that was impossible, there was simply no other way.

“I’ll do my best.”

Only then.

Only then would she turn to look at him.

Even if I myself am not in her gaze.

“Results must naturally follow.”

Effort alone is not enough.

One must achieve, show results, and prove oneself.

And those achievements, I will dedicate to only one person.

I will ultimately present them to her.

Gunter entered into meditation at the scheduled time today, and thus awakened from it.

****

Yes.

“Devils and demons, and the countless abominations associated with them.”

Those that cannot be reformed.

I shall be the shepherd who gathers them all and drives them into the pit.

And also the one who selects and rescues those who can be saved.

That too shall be my duty as shepherd.

“……”

After writing in the book bit by bit, all the blanks were finally filled.

Filling dozens of empty pages densely with text.

I’ve written everything I needed to say here.

Hoping this will be of proper help when Iriel struggles with unfamiliar tasks or wanders later.

“That I excel in this area more than Mother is perhaps my one consolation.”

Mother is magnificent in herself, great as a ruler but inexperienced as a politician.

Therefore, she cannot understand the struggles and worries of the inexperienced and foolish.

I, on the other hand, understand.

Though she was a legitimate being, and herself a powerful warrior whose spirit and presence were extraordinary enough to easily crush all plots and slander.

But not everyone can be like that.

After all, I myself have maintained this position solely through the inherent human calculations, schemes, purposes, and deceptions.

Though the title of crown prince helped greatly, Gunter prided himself that he would have managed fine even without it.

Fortunately, I had some talent in that area.

And I had sufficient conditions, time, and incidents to work on and refine it.

This too is a kind of fate, if not divine providence.

Or is it destiny?

“Finally…”

…Nothing in particular.

I’ve done everything I could.

“May this be my final lesson.”

My only brother, whom I once intensely envied.

But even that was only for a moment.

Mother truly intended to entrust this position to me.

More precisely, she wanted to pass it off to me.

She herself never wanted to claim the throne or crown.

But because the one she loved dearly asked her to endure that humiliation for the sake of all people,

She willingly took it upon herself, or so I was told.

“…An incomprehensible being to many rulers.”

Perhaps I am the same in that regard.

Gunter understands that he is abnormal.

But what can he do?

Once, gazing at her brilliance, constantly following her.

Now, to be told to abandon that… that was even harder to comprehend.

Even power compared to that radiance… was nothing.

In the end, living for someone else.

It was none other than she who demonstrated that.

Even without being by his side, she constantly longed for, desired, and missed that person.

…That’s why I was terribly envious of that unknown being.

I too wanted to be such a person to her.

“…Sigh.”

Dressing himself, he roughly estimates the time.

“Neither history nor anything else can define or subjugate me.”

I merely pity the great kings and emperors of the world who lived as slaves to such things.

I express my sympathy.

“The illusion that we can have everything… that’s why we became slaves.”

That’s what being alive means.

Slaves to life, slaves to living, slaves to death, slaves to failure, slaves to success.

…Are we not truly the foremost of slaves?

And the world calls this a king?

“Therefore, only true love and true devotion are noble. Under heaven. Upon earth. Only. Those things.”

The answer has been determined for more than a thousand years.

Was Irenis any different?

Countless saints and holy fathers understood this truth, which is why they willingly chose devotion.

I express my respect to them.

And at the same time, my sympathy.

Gunter left his office.

Outside was noisy, but the corridor was particularly quiet.

The dim surroundings were extremely dark and silent, without even a single torch or candle lit.

Only the sound of his footsteps echoed loudly.

After he had walked for some time.

“……”

From the far end of the corridor, his female knight guard quietly met his eyes and bowed her head.

Gunter approached and said:

“I’m sorry for troubling you until the end.”

“That too is my blessing, my lord.”

Gunter smiled gently at her ephemeral expression.

“Let’s go. The journey… shouldn’t be too far.”

****

The royal plaza.

The incident of devils and demons appearing within the royal castle and causing disturbance truly plunged Lutania into a cauldron of shock.

However, the countermeasures were perfect, so while the damage was minimal, there were still some victims.

The fortunate thing was.

“…Sigh.”

Iriel, who had just returned to the royal capital after a long journey, somehow managed to quell the situation.

In truth, all he did was show his face and briefly risk danger.

“I can’t believe it. How could His Highness the Crown Prince have such a tragic…”

It was like having the wool pulled over one’s eyes.

‘Brother.’

Following the Queen Mother’s orders, it was a journey directed by Gunter himself.

Gunter had decided to go beyond suppressing the unstable elements rooted in Lutania, to completely incinerate them.

That’s why he wanted to go beyond resealing the sealed demon, to eliminate and expel it.

Demons don’t die just because you kill them.

At most, their physical body disappears, but their essence remains intact and returns to hell.

Yet they were deliberately sealed and kept because there was concern that if they returned to hell, they would gnash their teeth and come back to the middle realm to harm their descendants and offspring. Seeing the long-term situation, the ancestors of that time made such a choice.

But even that was already hundreds of years ago.

And even within that time, they still constantly yearned for resurrection and release from their seals, occasionally using their few followers to struggle for freedom.

The history of Lutania was, in a way, close to a three-way battle between the followers of these sealed demons, indigenous beliefs and natives, and immigrants who infiltrated between them.

Here, dragons, witches, and fairies who cooperated with the natives raised their hands to the first founding king of Lutania, who was an immigrant, bringing everything to a conclusion.

Various races migrated, sought refuge, or were expelled to the continent, and even humans were no exception.

In those days, even humans were called different races according to their religion, doctrine, faith, and following forces.

Rather, Lutania was the one that did not discriminate based on appearance and characteristics, which was a clear distinction from the flow of the continent.

…Perhaps it was the result of the distinctive closed tendency of an island nation.

When Iriel learned about ancient history with Gunter, though not in detail, this left a strong impression on him, and he still kept such content well in his mind.

And.

…The fact that the first immigrants actually included many minions of demons and followers of the demon realm.

And it was the founding king of Lutania, the founding emperor, who joined forces with the natives to drive out these immigrants and invaders.

As a result, the founding emperor, the Endraig family, became the undisputed leader of Lutania by defeating the evil dragon that had fallen to demons… and thus ended the legend of the demon sword and the evil dragon.

The young Gunter had constantly vowed to follow in the footsteps of such ancestors and devote himself to protecting his homeland.

‘Why would such a brother…’

While Iriel was looking around the space where he had stayed and self-deprecating.

“Here you are.”

“…Eileen.”

Eileen, with her red long hair tied up, appeared suddenly before his eyes in baggy attire.

“What did you talk about with the Imperial person… No, that’s not for me to get involved in.”

“It’s not that big a deal.”

Eileen said as if it was nothing.

“They said I might be of the Imperial Golden Bloodline.”

“……”

Golden Bloodline? What was that again?

Familiar to his ears, Iriel pondered for a moment before exclaiming involuntarily.

“Could it be…?”

“Right now in the Empire, they say the current Hero Emperor is abdicating to the Radiant Bloodline? That is, the descendant of the hero, and there’s a vote for the next emperor going on about that.”

After already publicly announcing that he would ascend to the throne as emperor, they’re still doing this?

“…I don’t really know.”

He didn’t want to get involved in such political issues.

Especially if it was an Imperial matter.

“Wait? Then… they proposed that you go to the Empire with them?”

“Well, I declined because it was troublesome.”

“…Why?”

“Just because I might be a princess… no, an imperial princess or of that bloodline, I don’t want to be bound by it. Besides, my mothers are still alive, so why should I? Even if I had the inclination, I should first inform my mother and then decide, it doesn’t seem like something for me to be concerned with.”

“Why not just honestly say you don’t like being constrained by such things?”

“Hey, that wouldn’t be stylish, would it?”

Iriel sighed lightly at Eileen’s words.

“…That’s just like you, I suppose.”

Anyway.

“I thought our poor little brother might come looking for me once I made a name for myself wandering around, but it’s hard to see his face even after coming here.”

“If what you’ve repeatedly said is true, then perhaps the worry itself is unnecessary.”

“That’s true, but.”

The two who were unintentionally continuing their conversation.

At some point, they stopped talking.

“You said you came to meet another sibling in this country?”

“That’s something our poor little brother knows.”

Come to think of it, Eileen is truly a strange person.

Somehow meticulous and seemingly flawless.

But when it comes to important parts, there are so many odd or complacent aspects.

In the first place, how can her brother know the destination but she doesn’t?

Even after hearing it several times, she doesn’t remember? That simply means… she let it go in one ear and out the other.

“Then what will you do? Go back to see your mother, and then go to the Empire?”

“You want me to go and fight with that Radiant Bloodline? They say he’s already called a new hero and warrior in that country?”

“……”

“Or what? Do you want to write some fairy tale about me going there and being matched with you in a political marriage, living happily ever after for generations?”

“You know that’s not my intention.”

“…I’ve given up all fantasies about princes after seeing you, so I’m not expecting anything anymore.”

Towards Eileen, who was complaining, Iriel let out a short sigh.

“You really are…”

While the two were wasting time in this manner.

“Your Highness Iriel. It seems you need to come out urgently.”

Viscount Purt, who had joined them in the royal capital, called for Iriel while breaking into a cold sweat.

“What’s the matter?”

“…Her Majesty the Queen has returned to the royal capital.”